


Lullaby Birdie

by kaleidomusings



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Fluff and Crack, Just like the big version, Little Steve has a crush on Sam, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-04-02 11:50:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4058932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidomusings/pseuds/kaleidomusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve gets turned into a child and his teammates are at a complete loss what to do. As a last resort they end up calling Sam for help, who Steve takes one look at and falls in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written after CA:WS and before AoU so it doesn't follow canon precisely, but hopefully that won't be too much of an issue. In all honesty, I wrote this story purely for my own enjoyment, because Steve was probably super adorable as a kid when he wasn't being a brat. Also Sam is the absolute best and deserves all the love.

Steve sits very still and doesn't cry as the grown ups argue around him, clutching at the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. They told him they're his friends, but he's not sure if he believes them. They're too big and loud and yell at each other, the way Mama says friends should never yell. Also none of them have looked at Steve even once since they found him and brought him to the tall building with the huge windows and the talking walls. 

"I mean, just look at him," the man with the dark hair and beard, the one called Stark, says and gestures at Steve. The others turn to stare and Steve can't help flinching. Somehow, being noticed by them is worse than when they're ignoring him. "Captain America's been turned into a baby. How are we supposed to figure out what happened to him if-"

"I'm not a baby," Steve interrupts with a frown. He's already four. He's practically a grown up.

Stark groans. "And I thought the big version gave me a headache."

The pretty lady with red hair -Natasha- finally looks up from the thing in her hand that beeps and shrills. She's been playing with it while everyone else was talking and Steve wants to ask her what it is, but he doesn't want to be rude. Mama always used to say that good manners left a lasting impression on people. And asking her why she played with a toy that made so much noise didn't seem very polite. "Wilson said he's on his way," she says. "He should be here soon."

"Will he be able to reverse the Captain's condition?" asks the biggest of the grown ups. The one with long blond hair, who said his name is Thor. He seems nice. He's nicer to Steve than Stark is, anyway. But he also called Steve sickly the first time he heard that wheezy sound Steve sometimes makes when he doesn't breathe right, so Steve doesn't like him. 

"No." Natasha glances at Steve briefly before her eyes flicker away. "But what Rogers needs right now is someone he can trust. And I can't think of anyone more trustworthy."

Banner, the man who always looks tired and sad, nods in agreement. "Considering all the health issues he has, it's best to keep him calm and relaxed."

Steve twists his fingers in the material of his pants. He hates when people talk about him like he isn't there. The doctors that Mama used to take him to always treated him like that. So he hopes that Wilson doesn't come, because if he's anything like these grown ups then Steve is sure he'll hate him too. 

Natasha's toy beeps. She glances at it and says, "Barton says he has a lead." She gets up to leave, but briefly pauses in front of Steve. She reaches out her hand like she might ruffle his hair, but drops it without touching him. "We'll make this right," she promises instead, her voice soft. 

Steve makes himself nod, but he doesn't want to get his hopes up if it turns out not to be true.

The adults share a look when they think he's not looking before Natasha leaves the room and shuts the door behind her. Banner eventually leaves the room as well, saying something about particles and data that doesn't make any sense to Steve. Which just leaves Stark and Thor.

"Perhaps I should contact Jane," Thor says after a long pause. 

Stark chokes on a laugh. "Um, no. Foster is brilliant, I'll give her that, but I doubt that she knows how to take care of kids. We need to bring in the expert to deal with Christopher Robin here." He snaps his fingers at the ceiling. "JARVIS, patch me in to Pepper."

"Where's Mama?" Steve blurts out. Thor and Stark turn to stare at him, and the tears he's been trying so hard to keep from falling are streaming down his face. "Where's Bucky? Why aren't they here?"

"Make it a code red," Stark says.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve takes one look at Sam Wilson and falls in love.

Steve takes one look at Sam Wilson and falls in love. 

He already stopped crying after Pepper -the nice lady with pretty strawberry blonde hair- brings him clothes that fit him, coloring books, and some crayons. Steve is deciding what color to choose next and asks Pepper for her opinion when man walks into the room, taking his breath away without anything to do with his asthma.  

"Hey," Wilson says with a warm smile that unleashes a whirlwind of butterflies in his stomach. Steve fumbles the crayon and makes a mark outside the lines, staring in horror at his mistake. Thankfully, Wilson doesn't seem to notice and glances around the room curiously. "Where's Stark and Thor?"

Pepper shrugs, selecting a yellow crayon for Steve to use. "Thor wasn't here when I came up and Tony ran away to his workshop before I could ask."

Steve bites his lip. Stark and Thor couldn't figure out what to do when he started crying, so Thor beat a hasty retreat while Stark floundered around until Pepper arrived in time to rescue the situation. 

Wilson frowns. Steve worries that he might be mad at him for crying, but then he shakes his head and turns back to Steve with that smile again. It makes something warm and happy curls in Steve's chest at the sight. "Got you a present," Wilson says to him and kneels down by Steve's chair, holding out a gift bag with blue tissue paper. "I'm Sam, by the way."

"Thank you, Sam," Steve says shyly. He digs into the bag and finds a stuffed toy of Peter Rabbit, with his little coat and everything. Mama used to read him an old battered copy of _The Tale of Peter Rabbit_ every night before bed. And, although she never admitted it, he knew that she scraped together every single extra penny she could for almost two weeks before being able to afford it. He hugs the toy to his chest, pressing his face against Peter's soft fur and fighting tears. 

Sam glances at Pepper before reaching out and smoothing his big hand over Steve's hair. "I'm here for you, Steve."

He tries to meet his gaze, but he can't see past the blur of tears. "I miss Mama."

"I know," Sam says softly. 

Steve twists his fingers into Peter's coat. "I miss Bucky."

Sam's eyes are pained and sad. "I know, Steve."

Sam holds out his arms and Steve gratefully throws himself into them, hanging on with everything he has as Peter is crushed between them. Sam rubs his back as he buries his face against his shoulder, trembling even as he resists the urge to cry. When Steve finally stops shaking and pulls away, his stomach makes a low growl and has him looking up to glare at Sam, daring him to say anything about it.

"How about I make you something to eat?" Sam asks, trying his best not to laugh. 

Steve thinks it over, before nodding and taking the hand Sam offers him. He cradles Peter in the crook of his arm and smiles up at Sam, who may not be Mama or Bucky, but who is just as nice.

Steve decides right then and there that he likes Sam very much, and is going to marry him when he's big enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam bribes Steve with ice cream and he meets a very special someone.

"Any idea who did this to you?" he asks as he positions a stool close to the counter and helps Steve onto it. After Pepper declared she was going to find Tony and left, Sam took him to the kitchen for a quick lunch. 

Steve shakes his head, kicking his feet back and forth. A part of him knows that he's supposed to be grown up, but he doesn't remember it and can't picture being one in his head. He looks over his shoulder at Peter, who is already seated at the dining table, while Sam puts out everything he needs to make lunch on the counter. Steve turns back around, trying to think about it, and an old woman's face pops into his head. "There was a lady," he says.

Sam glances at him before turning his attention back to the slices of bread he's buttering. "Do you know who she was?"

Steve wants Sam to like him, so he grasps harder at the memory, but it gives him a headache the more he tries. "I'm sorry."

Sam blinks before setting aside the butter knife and kneels in front of him. "There's nothing you need to apologize for," he says. "It can't be helped that you don't remember, but that's why the rest of us are here. We want to help you, Steve."

"Okay," he says, warm all over with relief and gratitude. 

"Want to help me make lunch?" Sam asks with a smile and Steve nods eagerly. 

Sam ends up teaching him how to grill ham and cheese sandwiches with cooked vegetables on the side. Steve eats everything, even the vegetables, while asking Sam things about himself. He learns that Sam flies with metal wings and used to rescue injured soldiers before helping veterans. His favorite animals are dogs and cheetahs, but he doesn't like sharks. He also has a niece Steve's age. But what really catches his interest is that the day Sam met Steve, he was on a morning run and Steve acted silly just to get his attention. The look on his face is so fond as he talks about it, Steve feels a little jealous of his grown up self.

"Are we-" he starts to ask, but pauses. 

Sam tilts his head at him. "Hm?"

Steve fiddles with Peter's ear. "Are we friends?"

"Of course we are," Sam says, as if he never had to doubt. He smiles. "We're a team, you know."

Steve beams back and readily agrees when Sam asks if he wants to go meet his other friend, Helen. 

\--

Helen Cho is a _doctor_. 

Sam explains that Helen Cho is a good friend to them both and a great doctor, but Steve is still reluctant to meet her. He's never liked doctors and the way they act like everything wrong with Steve is his fault. He tells Sam as much, so it hurts a little when he laughs. 

"I don't like doctors much myself," Sam admits, "But Helen isn't like that. You'll like her, I promise."

Steve doesn't actually believe him, but he doesn't argue. It's only when they walk into her lab and she smiles at them that all his doubts disappear. Helen is beautiful, with long dark hair and brown eyes, wearing a green outfit that looked like the nurse's uniform Mama used to wear, but much nicer. And with pants.

"Hello, Steve," she says kindly and his stomach does a little flip. But not in the bad way he's used to when he goes to the doctor. It reminds him a lot of the warm feeling he gets when Sam smiles at him. 

"Hi." Steve hides his face against Sam's pant leg and whispers to Helen, "You're really pretty."

"Thank you," she says. He peeks at her but she doesn't seem to be making fun of him. She actually sounds sincere when she says, "I'm happy to hear that. So what can I do for you boys today?"

"Just a check up," Sam says and ruffles Steve's hair after helping him undress and into the little blue hospital gown. "Go on with her. We'll grab some ice cream when we're done."

The promise of ice cream is tempting, but Steve makes up his mind to go with Helen when she holds out her hand. It's the patient way she waits for him to reach out to her, and how gentle but sure she is during Steve's check up. She doesn't ignore him either, the way he's used to being treated by doctors before. He also likes her soft voice and the way she tells him funny stories throughout it all, the one about Stark not being able to lift Thor's hammer especially. 

"All done," she says brightly as she helps Steve back into his clothes. "I'll run some analyses and try to figure out what might have caused this. In the meantime, make sure to take it easy. Let me know if there are any problems."

"Thanks, Helen," Sam says as she hands him a small brown bag that rattles. Steve makes a face and hopes it's not medicine. He's always had to take a lot of them with Mama, but besides his asthma he doesn't feel as bad as he used to. Maybe Sam won't make him take them unless he really needs it. 

It takes a moment for him to realize that Sam is staring at him, waiting for him to thank Helen too. "Thank you," he says and blushes when Helen kneels down to give him a hug. 

"Come visit me again," she says. She tucks some of her hair behind an ear and Steve wants to draw it. "Enjoy your ice cream, Steve."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cute little ice cream date goes awry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot happened. And I'm just as surprised about it as all of you.

Sam does ask Steve to swallow a little pink tablet, but also buys him ice cream like he promised, so Steve forgives him. 

The ice cream man gets impatient when Steve takes too long to decide which flavor to choose, but there are so many different kinds. He finally decides on vanilla, because it seems safer than any of the other crazy flavors (like the rainbow colored one). His ice cream is also covered in strawberries and a chocolate drizzle over a waffle cone, which Sam suggested he try. It's so good, Steve doesn't even stop eating as Sam directs him to a bench for them to sit on. 

Central Park is different than the one Steve remembers, but he likes it. There are so many people and so many things to see. Joggers in bright clothes, couples laying together in the grass, families walking hand in hand. He's so happy that he can spend time here with Sam, he wants to do it forever. But eating is more important than telling Sam at the moment, so he's completely focuses on that. 

"Enjoying your ice cream?" Sam asks with a teasing smile. 

Steve nods eagerly and starts worrying about being rude, but Sam doesn't seem to be bothered by it. He only hands Steve a napkin when he gets some ice cream on his face, teasing him to eat slowly or he'll choke. Steve does try to slow down and enjoy it, but he's only had ice cream a few times before. The last time he had it was shortly after Mama died. Bucky was working two jobs at the time, because Steve was too sick to keep the illustrator gig at the newspaper, and he was feeling particularly lonely and sad. And even though Bucky had a date that night with his girl, he canceled it to take Steve out for ice cream instead, since drinking wasn't good for him and-

The ice cream cone suddenly slips from his fingers and falls to the ground, making a mess of waffle bits and strawberries and getting all over his new shoes. He flinches when Sam kneels down to wipe it up with a handful of napkins.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly. 

"It'll come out in the wash," Sam assures him. He looks up and his eyes suddenly widen. "What's wrong?"

Steve realizes tears are running down his face and rubs his eyes with his tiny fists, trying to make himself stop crying and unable to. "I don't know," he sniffles. 

But in that memory he had, he and Bucky were older, which confuses him. And a part of him keeps thinking that Bucky had been hurt somehow and needed help. It was his arm, maybe. Or his head. It hurt trying to remember and Steve feels sick, like when he's so dizzy he can't get out of bed and Mama stays home from the hospital to sing to him and read him stories and rub his tummy when it hurts, but thinking about her makes him cry harder. 

"Steve," Sam starts, but before he can finish a man running by in a jogging outfit draws a gun from his jacket. 

Steve throws himself at Sam, knocking him to the ground as a bullet narrowly misses his head. Sam draws a knife from his belt and it catches the man in the shoulder, making him drop his gun. People around them are screaming and Steve is shaking too hard to move, but Sam gathers him in his arms and starts to run. 

Sam presses a toy like the one Natasha had -a cell phone, he remembers from somewhere- against his ear and Steve can faintly make out her voice coming from it. 

"Sam?"

Figures in black swarm toward them, so Sam turns to run in another direction. "Steve and I are being attacked in Central Park."

"How many?" she demands. 

"One in civilian clothes, six in HYDRA uniforms."

HYDRA. Steve remembers them. They're bad people who like to hurt others just because they can. They're bullies and he hates them for it, especially since they hurt Bucky. Steve presses his face against Sam's shoulder and hears Natasha say, "I'll be there soon."

Suddenly, there's a crack like thunder and Sam falls, cursing as he rolls, trying not to crush Steve under him. 

When the world stops spinning, Steve glances down at Sam and gasps. "You're bleeding!" 

There's blood on his pants and Sam looks at Steve, his expression grim. "Steve, you need to run." 

Steve stares at him, trying to make sense of his words. "No! I won't!" Only cowards leave their friends behind.

"You need to get away from here," Sam says, pressing the phone into his hands. "Run as far as you can and keep this with you no matter what. Natasha will find you."

Steve sobs and throws his arms around his neck. "No. Sam, no!"

"I hate to ruin the moment," a voice says from above them. "But the kid needs to come with us."

The voice belongs to a woman in a black suit like the one Natasha wears. For a split second, she almost looks like Mama with her long blonde hair and blue eyes, but then the moment passes. Mama wouldn't work for HYDRA. She wasn't the kind of person to scare Steve or hurt Sam. 

Sam's arms tighten around him, protecting him from the impostor wearing Mama's face and the men in black surrounding them. "He's not going anywhere," he says.

The woman smiles, her cheeks dimpling, before she slams her foot down on Sam's injured leg. He cries out in pain and Steve screams too. He hits her as hard as he can with Sam's phone, but she doesn't even notice. Instead, one of the HYDRA agents grabs Steve even as he fights with everything he has. 

"I really like you," the woman says, grinding down harder with the heel of her boot, as if oblivious to the way Sam muffles his screams. "It's a shame I have to kill you, but orders are orders."

"No!" Steve shouts and struggles to get free just as a gunshot rings out. The agent holding him suddenly falls over, followed by several other gunshots follow as the rest drop dead, one after the other. 

The woman makes a pleased noise as she moves off of Sam, who groans and curls around his leg. "There he is."

Steve rushes to Sam's side, but the woman grabs him and ruffles his hair almost affectionately. But his skin crawls at the feeling and he tries to twist free, hating the way she grins, something dark and dangerous in her eyes.

"I'll be back for you, Captain," she says sweetly. 

Another crack of a gunshot and she pulls away just in time, although some of her hair doesn't escape unscathed. 

"Oh, now that's just mean," the woman says, gazing at the pile of strands with a sad look.

She glances at Sam and Steve plants himself in the way, his arms held out, daring her to come any closer. But all she does is blow a kiss at them and takes off into the trees, disappearing just as Natasha and the other Avengers show up. Somewhere in the distance, Steve can hear sirens getting closer.

"Thank god," Sam mutters weakly as Natasha rushes to his side to stop the bleeding. "And all of you are late."


End file.
